Christmas and the Beads of Sweat

Christmas and the Beads of Sweat is the fourth album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro. The album was released on the Columbia Records label in November 1970 after Nyro had recorded it in the early summer with producers Felix Cavaliere and Arif Mardin. Whilst Nyro had handed over production reins, she was still in control of the project and co-arranged her compositions.

Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
Studio album by
Laura Nyro
ReleasedNovember 25, 1970 (1970-11-25)
RecordedMay 1970 in New York City
GenrePop
Length44:55
LabelColumbia
Producer
Laura Nyro chronology
New York Tendaberry
(1969)		 Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
(1970)		 Gonna Take a Miracle
(1971)
Singles from Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
  1. "Up on the Roof"/"Captain Saint Lucifer"
    Released: August 1970 (1970-08)
  2. "When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag"/"Been on a Train"
    Released: January 1971 (1971-01)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[2]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[3]

The album is the closing part of a Laura Nyro trilogy that also comprises 1968's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and 1969's New York Tendaberry. Musically, the album is a bridge between the two, balancing the lighter and more joyful tones of Eli with the dark, sensual, and piano-dominated Tendaberry.

The presence of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section on side one lends the album a more easygoing, rock-inspired sound, but this is countered by Nyro's evocative lyrics and moody piano delivery. Nyro had by this time built up a strong reputation as a songwriter, and the album features star turns from Duane Allman, who adds a guitar solo to the driving "Beads of Sweat," and Alice Coltrane, who adds harp to side two.

The album, buoyed by Nyro's popularity as a songwriter, became her second commercially successful album in succession, peaking at #51 on the Billboard 200, known as the Pop Albums chart. The album is also responsible for spawning Nyro's sole chart hit single, with a cover of Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "Up on the Roof," which peaked at #92 on the Pop Singles chart, now known as the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

All songs written by Laura Nyro, except where noted.

Side one
  1. "Brown Earth" - 4:09
  2. "When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag" - 2:42
  3. "Blackpatch" - 3:33
  4. "Been on a Train" - 5:49
  5. "Up on the Roof" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) - 3:13
Side two
  1. "Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp" - 5:34
  2. "Map to the Treasure" - 8:08
  3. "Beads of Sweat" - 4:47
  4. "Christmas in My Soul" - 7:00

Personnel
  • Laura Nyro – piano, vocals, arrangements
Additional musicians on side one
Other musicians

The album credits these musicians but does not indicate which tracks they played on.

Additional musicians on side two
Technical
  • Arif Mardin – arrangements, conductor, producer
  • Roy Segal – engineer
  • Tim Geelan – engineer
  • Jerry Lee Smith – assistant engineer
  • Doug Pomeroy – assistant engineer
  • Beth O'Brien – cover portrait

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: N". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Rolling Stone review

Michele Kort's biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro (ISBN 0-312-20941-X)

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